Mean
by LucySpiller
Summary: What happens when Aria is the victim of bullying and the only person/friend in her life is her English Teacher.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! So here's another one by me! Actually have most of these chapters so far written up so this will be swiftly up and hopefully completed soon! It's based upon Taylor Swift – Mean. Found this song recently so inspiring and found a way to make it relevant to Ezria! Enjoy & review please!

**Mean**

**Chapter One**

Aria Montgomery sat in the cafeteria, the tray of food was laid out in front of her. She sighed as she looked down at what she had chosen, none of the food even looked like what it should. She raised a fork into her mouth swallowing what tasted like dirt and instantly regretted it. She got up, putting her bag over her shoulder and holding the tray preparing to throw the content into the bin across the room.

She walked over, small snickers was all she heard. She was used the whispers when it regarded her. Ever since that night it was all she ever got. She felt someone voice louder behind her, the tone sounding similar and racking her memory. She turned around and noticed the girl in school who everyone avoided, Mona.

Aria gulped loudly. The girl was staring straight at her; the other girls who followed Mona around were like terriers behind her protecting her. Their faces sharper than daggers as they focused the hate onto her.

"I can't believe you're still here" Mona giggled loudly, her followers joined in with hushed tones. She approached Aria closer, waiting for an response.

"I go to school here" Aria replied a little too quickly back. the aggressive look on Mona's face reassured Aria of this.

Mona stepped further forward, flinging her hand in front of her, causing the tray to fall in the opposite direction towards Arias chest, covering the blue t-shirt in the messy glum. Mona laughed and walked off with the girls following her leaving Aria in the middle of the cafeteria. She tried to brush most of the content she could into the bin, bushing her fingers through the ends of her hair seeing the pieces of carrots stuck. She walked and headed towards the bathroom to try clean up the best she could before her English class she had next.

She walked down the corridor heading to English. Everyone was t their lockers laughing away at the state of her. She hid her head down and carried on walking til she got into the classroom. Everyone sniggered even louder when she entered, except the teacher .

She her seat and pulled out the books she would need for the lesson and pen to begin to write notes down with. She looked across the room to Mona who was waving and smiling with the evil glare she gave out regularly.

As soon as the bell rang the class began dismissing one by one out the door and making their journeys home. "Aria can I have a word please?" directed towards her view seeing her nod. She sat down at the desk opposite his. He could see she felt uncomfortable. He tried to smile to help make her feel safer in his presence.

"So what look you going for today? Big cook little cook?" he laughed softly allowing his student to know he was joking. Aria's cheek turned a pinkish colour as she tried to quicker

"So when did all this start?" he asked his tone was soft and sweet. His eyes were dark and caring. It began making her feel safer she nodded before beginning.

"A while ago, I guess" Aria sighed. Ezra looked at the student in front of him. It confused him how fragile she was. She was so beautiful with her ebony coloured hair and dark eyebrows that highlighted her eyes perfectly. And what was worse she didn't know when it started suggesting it's been happening a while. Why were kids so cruel?

"Well I better let you home, Miss Montgomery" Ezra smiled standing up ready to walk her out of his classroom.

"It's Aria" she smiled. It was the first time he'd seen her smile. It lite up her entire face with the small dimples making an appearance. "Bye Aria" he replied as she walked down the corridor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mean **

**Chapter Two**

Aria arrived home, setting her bag down onto the kitchen table as she sighed seeing her parents were cuddled together on the sofa in the living room with a film on the TV screen. Her brother was in the same room, his laptop on his lap as he concentrated on both technologies.

Aria walked into the room, her parents looking up at her seeing the state of her clothing. Her mother stood up coming to closer to her as she pulled a leaf of lettuce out of her curl that laid on her back. "Thanks" she partly smiled. Her mother didn't look too impressed, gently pulling her into the kitchen, seeing Bryon coming swiftly in leaving Mike out of the conversation.

"How did you get in this state?" Ella questioned her daughter. Every time she looked she noticed another item on her clothing or stuck in her hair.

"I...fell over in the cafeteria" she lied. Her parents both sighed, before agreeing with her that she was clumsy.

They both agreed. "You need to be more careful Aria" they slightly smiled at her seeing her nod before walking.

"Why don't you go shower and I'll call you down for dinner later?" her mother suggested seeing her nod before hearing her head up the steps.

Aria had spent most of the night trying to get the thoughts of the previous day out of her head. When the alarm she had set sounded she knew it was time to start another day. She got up, throwing her hair into a messy bun, allowing any stray pieces to stay out. She put on a black dress with designed tights and her high heel boots before leaving the house.

She walked into the only classroom she didn't now dread, . She sat down in her usual seat preparing herself for the lesson ahead of her. Ezra had arrived early walking up to see her already in the room instead of the corridor outside where everyone was socialising

He sat down on the chair in front, turning it around so he could face Aria. He saw her bag was open and noticed the collection of books she had brought with her.

"You like reading?" Ezra asked seeing the books and seeing Aria notice her bag was open and revealing the content.

Aria nodded. She felt embarrassed that he knew. "I like writing also" she added in seeing his face light up.

"Interesting" he smiled. "I love writing also, I have this poetry reading of my own work tonight actually" he laughed slightly at himself.

He stood up, grabbing a piece of paper and pen from his desk and scribbling something over it before handing it back to Aria. She looked confused. "It's the address of the reading if you'd like to go" he smiled seeing her smile at him and nod sweetly just as the bell rang.

He walked back over to the door and began welcoming the students into the classroom.

It was now later In the evening. Aria had made up some excuse that she was studying round a friend's house. She pulled out the scrap paper seeing the address again before entering the pub she was currently stood outside checking the locations matched. She breathed deeply in before walking in and seeing the small stage set up and the microphone in place. At the bar Ezra sat with a beer in his hand as he was happily chatting away.

She made her way over towards him. Coughing slightly to get his attention. "Wow, Aria" he smiled brightly at her. He was revealed to her true beauty, she had basic makeup on highlighting her eyes, her hair was curled and she was wearing a dotty dress that fit to her body perfectly showing the appropriate amount of flesh. She blushed at his comment.

He walked her over to a small table sitting her down and bringing his drink over. "Do you want anything?" he asked she nodded "Coke please" he smiled before walking back over to the bar, returning minutes later with the coke in his hand and giving it to her.

"Right, I have to read. I won't be long" he checked she was okay before left to go read a collection of his poems. He was happy Aria decided she would come, it meant more to him to know someone in the audience actually like poetry and understood him.

Aria watched him As he was on stage. The words flowing beautiful out of his mouth. He was just too adorable to watch alongside with the cheesy grin he always showed. It never occurred to Aria how different he could be when he was in a classroom and wearing a striped tie around his neck. She kept clapping after every verse he said. She noticed the way he'd look over to the table every now and then checking she was okay. For Aria she was used to feel invisible, unwanted but he made her feel like she was worth something.

Within half an hour Ezra had finished his reading and regained his seat next to Aria. They spent the remainder of the night laughing and joking with each other. "Come on, I'll drive you home" Ezra suggested not giving Aria a chance to even reject his offer. She nodded sweetly and followed him to his car.

Within 10minutes Ezra had parked the car around the corner from Aria's home. "Thank you for coming" he smiled at her.

"Thank you for inviting me" Aria didn't know what she was doing but she began leaning in, she paused until she saw Ezra was gently pulling himself in til their lips pressed together. The electricity flowing through both of them as their kiss turned into a fight of passion. They broke apart, the silence overtaking the moment of weakness. Aria quickly stepped out of the car and started walking around the corner til she got to her front door. Did that really just happen?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for all the positive feedback so far! Hoping to keep updating this regularly, I'm also doing A-level alongside this so if I'm delaying updates that's why! Here we gooo!

Chapter Three.

Aria awoke the next morning, her hair was neatly pulled over to one side of her pillow. she yawned and stretched climbing out of the bed in a weird way as she tried to reawaken her muscles aswell as her brain. she began searching through her closet for something to wear today, she decided on a black skirt which she knew would match the sweater top she picked out alongside it. she stared into her mirror, observing herself in the outfit, wondering to herself what would make of her, she began then realising wait she shouldn't be thinking like this. She knew the way she was feeling was wrong, his lips felt so amazing on hers, his skin was soft to touch and the smell of him still lingered on her hair.

she grabbed her bag from behind her door and made her way down the stairs til she reached the kitchen, grabbing a slice of toast off the side before rushing out of the front door to begin her day. she kept telling herself as she walked she wouldn't go to him, she wouldn't act like anything was different and especially knowing that Mona and her gang were keeping an eye on her she had try extra hard not to act any different.

she rushed through the busy entrance, revealing the school corridors the sounds of booking being placed or removed from lockers overtook her eardrums, the sounds of giggling was very apparent. she looked seeing Mona smiling and waving. being her usual mean self. Aria kept her head down and went over to her locker, opening the door and the small piece of paper fell to the floor, she bent down and opened it, before gasping and looking around her, seeing Mona's smile now a frown.

the note read:

_"I'll get you next time, if not today, tomorrow"_

Aria knew from this note Mona meant war. she closed the note scrunching up the paper into a small ball and walked past a bin throwing it violently into the open bin before walking into her first class where she would have to confront .

"How was your evening Miss Montgomery?" Ezra asked she walked into the room, he noticed her tightened posture, her head was kept down and her eyes were beginning to look like gloss as she was about to cry. she looked up a second after he spoke then she sat down at her seat and blanked him, grabbing her equipment and continuing to stare out the window.

the lesson went as well as it could, Mona kept making horrible comments whenever she could and Aria knew they were directed towards her. Ezra on purpose didn't ask any questions about the book to Aria, he could see something was troubling her and didn't want her to get more emotional in front of everyone. as the bell rang he simply shouted above the noise of everyone leaving asking her to stay behind after class.

"Aria, what's going on?" he asked, he placed his hand gently onto her, feeling her skin melt into him and a small sense of happiness flood through her silently. she didn't look up once. Ezra didn't understand.

"Is this because of last night? I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or upset, I just felt i don't know it felt okay" he couldn't explain the way he felt, he saw Aria's head shot up and her eyes widen at his comment, he must have hit a nerve.

"Oh no, Ezra... . it's not last night, that was amazing" she breathed deeply when she said this, in her head she was remembering how amazing their kiss was. the way she never wanted it to end and she knew she wanted it to happen again.

"You're sure?" he asked again, seeing her nod, forcing a small smile onto her face she grabbed her bag making an excuse to leave.

Aria sat alone at lunch not knowing what to do. She wanted to go back to Ezra's classroom knowing he would be eating his lunch alone the same she was and just tell him everything about Mona and her crew. But she couldn't. she couldn't tell anyone, they'd make it worse. she had seen it happen so much when she was younger and how people would tell of them and the siutation would only increase.

she heard the familiar sound of the high heels strutting across the cateern well enough to know Mona was making her way over to her. she kept her head down praying she would go infect someone else with her pain and misery. of course she knew she wouldn't do this, she'd go see Aria while she was down. she sat down on the seat next to her, moving her plate of food over the table and before Aria could grab it, it was already on the floor with Mona's crew giggling lightly as she watched it go everywhere but trying to avoid the mess with their perfection of clothing they had on.

Aria stood up grabbing her bag and walking out of the room, heading towards an empty classroom before Mona stopped her, pulling her around by the tug of her hair, causing her to yelp in pain as she noticed a few strands still in Mona's grip. she looked at her "You bitch" she shouted back, a few tears now escaping and flwoing down her cheeks. she didn't care anymore this had gone to far for her, she had enough of this.

"You don't get any sort of right to call me that" with that Mona swinged her hand across Aria's face, the once beautiful shade of a soft white colour now turning into a bright pink as her skin was beginning to swell. further tears were now falling and brushing her cheeks, the tears were hurting the infected skin as she held her hand protectively to her face to avoid anymore hurt. Just like the wind Mona and her crew had left, leaving Aria stood crying softly to herself trying to exanimate the damage in a compact mirror she kept in her bag.

she had lasted the several more hours of classes, keeping her head down at her work so no one could see the bright patch that was stuck upon her face. she had tried using paper towels covered in cold water to stop the swelling but it only appeared to be getting worse. she heard the last bell knowing she would have to think of an suitable excuse to get home and avoid her parents til her face looked ordinary again. she rushed through the corridors bumping into an tall figure grunting loudly til she realised who it was.

"Aria...Your face...what happened?" Ezra asked full of cocern. he certainly hadn't noticed it before, wondering when she got the wound she was now showing. she tried to walk away, but he stopped her, grabbing her hand gently and moving her into an empty classroom nearby.

"Aria, this is serious, if someone is hurting you...i can help" he asked. Aria believed his words, knowing he meant them, he cared for her, he wanted her to be safe and she felt this from him, but she couldn't tell him just yet.

"I'm not, i walked into my locker. you know me" she lied straight through her teeth, she let out a little chuckle not quite realising how much the face movement would worsen the pain in her cheek.

"Come on, I'll take you back to mine so we can get this sorted out, before your parent see" Ezra suggested, Aria nodded and followed him. she couldn't help but wonder if she'd receive another amazing kiss tonight, she could only wish.


End file.
